Live long, Stay strong
by ButaLove
Summary: Dedicated to a great teacher. No pairings. Just a story of happiness in sadness. R&R please!


Presenting a fic and a dedication to a beloved teacher, boyfriend/husband, friend, and shinobi of Konoha. All of you know him, I'm sure.

Warning: Spoilers for those who haven't read the manga's latest chapters, and warning for language. Anyway, I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Live Long, Stay Strong**

The sun shined brightly that day but I knew the situation was definitely likewise to something as bright. My body ached everywhere and begged my brain to take a rest. Shikamaru looked as if he had much trouble to deal with as well, and so did my other teammates. Half my face was burning like shit yet it did not prevent me from my assigned mission.

Is this Akatsuki member invincible or what? That was the least thing I wanted right now. More difficulty for us. How troublesome. Did I just say that? Heh. I'm beginning to turn into a Shikamaru, and before I know it, I'd be staring into the clouds boringly. These thoughts, I shook of my head immediately as I concentrated severely on the current situation.

Blood was everywhere. Moreover, mine. It spilled from my mouth endlessly, yet I still pursued on trying to aim on the black clad in front of me. I lunged at him with my steel knuckle knives with my exerted chakra in it, and moved every muscle I had to its full capacity. If I had known better, that would have been my last attack. Immediately, I heard Shikamaru's voice call out me name from the back.

I looked behind and saw that damn Akatsuki throw his scythe behind me. Instinctively, I dropped my body to the ground as fast as I could and much to my comfort, it had hit him. I knew it had no effect on him but it was worth something to hope for if he actually WAS affected by that blow. As I looked up, I got surprised to see that he started laughing softly.

Then it got louder. Shikamaru had a stressed look on his face along the company of beads of sweat strolling down his cheeks. I can't believe he was still alive even after that! He was in that little circle once again, that bound him to immortality. My body trembled in pain and I felt my head getting heavier by the second. A sound of groan escaped my lips. _I don't think my body could take it much longer._

"It's not the same dumbass!" I heard him dry out at me, but I couldn't care less.

I coughed out more blood and as I looked up, I thought I saw my destiny ahead of me. Before I knew it, he had stabbed himself with the spear and a surge of pain came rushing inside my body, specifically my stomach.

It hurt so much but when I faced my stomach, there was no trace of blood or wound coming from it. I fell flat on the ground and heard faint sounds coming from someone. He was shouting. _Shikamaru…_

Moments later, I felt my body get hoisted up by somebody but I couldn't recognize who it was. I coughed out blood that suddenly surged through my throat like a rapid stream. I heard faint voices again. The next thing I knew, I was surrounded by my very own students. I heard Shikamaru order Ino to heal me with her medical jutsu which she complied to without hesitation.

I guessed that the Akasuki retreated for now. Good. Some peace at last. But they'd be back, I just know it.

"It's alright…" I slowly said, then continued."…this is gonna be it for me." That was true. I really believed it was going to happened and not even Ino's jutsu could help me now.

Choji immediately scolded me for talking in this critical condition, but Shikamaru scolded Choji back for doing so. Heh, what a team I got. I guess luck was on my side when I got paired with these hooligans. _Suddenly, all my memories flashed back in my head…_

"Ino, don't ever lose to Sakura, no matter what…and take care of the guys. They can be pretty careless." She gave me a curt nod and replied "Yeah!"

…_the Sandaime…_

"Choji, you'll become a great shinobi one day. Believe in yourself! Oh yeah, and try to lose weight…" He sniffed rather loudly. "It might be impossible but I'll try!" I chuckled…probably my last laugh.

…_Kurenai…I lov---_

"Shikamaru, you have the potential to be a hokage with your talents but it would be too much of a pain for you…" He knelt beside me and kept my head slightly up…an image I always wanted Kurenai and me to be in. Heh. "…I'm counting on you…" I closed my eyes, feeling restless and looking like it as well. It felt good to rest after all that fighting.

…_Konoha…_

"But anyway…the cigarettes I quit smoking…they're in my pocket. I just want one last smoke…" Then I felt a cigarette planted in between my lips, with a taste that I so recognized from long ago. Ah, I miss smoking, especially since I quit smoking months ago. It always made me feel more relaxed just as Shikamaru did when he stares at the sky.

…_everyone…_

As I closed my eyes, I saw all the memories of team ten in their genin days, as if they were being projected by my own heart and brain. It actually made me want to cry. Me? Yes, I wanted to cry for all the pain…sadness…happiness…love…and sufferings I experienced in my life. Hey, you only get to live once right? Letting go of everything I had is hard for a person, particularly if you were a shinobi who has experienced much in life.

These memories of team ten, kept going on like an endless movie until the days that they were who they were today.

No regret filled me. That fact made me slightly happier as my body lay lifelessly on the ground. The sweet aroma of the burnt cigar reached my nostrils and it made me feel at home. The sky still looked sunny but I knew it was going to rain.

My head was spinning and I could feel all my senses breaking down. I couldn't feel, hear, see, smell, or taste anything any longer. This was it. I knew it.

_..I'll miss you guys…I'll miss it all… _

_xOxOxOxOxOx_

It did rain. I was right. Somehow, I had a feeling it would and though the sun shone brightly that day and even though things didn't go exactly as planned for everyone, this wasn't the end. The sun was the sign for all my pain and the rain was the sign for all my memories. And as these pains were shining on me, reminding me of everything I had done wrong, these memories fell down on me in droplets, reminding me of all that I had achieved and left behind for others to look back at and ponder about as I lay peacefully with my favorite cigar and the best students I ever had.

---

AN: R&R PLEASE! Hope you liked it and sorry for some mistakes I made. And as you noticed, I had to cut out some lines from his last words. :D Sorry about that but I didn't need to put it anyway. You guys know it already anyway right? WE LOVE YOU ASUMA-SENSEI!

-Ayumi-


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